From an examination of available patents in the field of brush type cleaners and the like, I have become aware of U.S. Pat. Nos. 200,142; 301,323; 642,220 and 761,842. While these patents show brushes and wipers for cleaning various parts of machines, nothing is shown which is useful in connection with die punches for printed circuit boards.
Printed circuit boards have become an important component in the production of many electronic products. The reliability of such boards is critical to an efficient and economical production of such products. One of the most important processes in manufacturing a printed circuit board is the perforation of holes in the non-metallic materials or in combinations of metallic and non-metallic materials constituting such boards.
A common problem in the production of printed circuit boards is that, in the course of punching holes in these boards, the slug or portion to be ejected is not completely removed. The most common cause of this problem is that the slug sticks to the end of the punch after the punch is extended through the board. When the punch is retracted or when the board is stripped from the punch, the slug is pulled back in the hole from which it came.